STORIES Interlagos 1991: The Day Ayrton Senna Set Brazil’s Heart Racing

On March 24, 1991, in São Paulo, the story of Brazilian motorsport was rewritten. That day, Ayrton Senna gave his people more than a win — he gave them a moment that, even 34 years later, remains etched in eternity.

Until then, the Brazilian Grand Prix™ had seemed cursed for the local hero. Victory had eluded him six times (in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990), while his rival Alain Prost had triumphed there repeatedly.

But 1991 was different. Determined to end the drought, Senna took pole position with a blistering lap of 1:16.392, averaging 203.817 km/h.

Behind him, the Williams duo of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese waited in the wings, alongside McLaren teammate Gerhard Berger and, inevitably, Prost. Everything seemed aligned for a perfect weekend for “Magic” Senna.

Race day. The crowd roared as Senna launched from pole with the fearless confidence of a man born for the moment. From the opening laps, he seized control and dictated the pace. Mansell pressed hard, but Senna held firm — until lap 42.

That’s when the gearbox began to fail. Third gear slipped first, then fifth… until only sixth remained. Unable to downshift, Senna faced the torturous task of keeping his car alive on the twisting, hilly circuit of Interlagos. Then came the rain — light, treacherous, relentless. Every corner demanded strength beyond muscle, every straight a battle of endurance. Behind him, Patrese — also struggling with transmission issues — began to close the gap.

“I noticed Patrese getting closer and actually thought I wasn’t going to win,” Senna later recalled. “But I felt I had an obligation to win in Brazil. I managed to control the car despite the rain at the end. I had muscle spasms and cramps in my shoulders and neck, because the seatbelt was too tight — but also because of the emotion.”

In the final laps, Senna was no longer driving to attack — he was driving to survive.

After 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 28 seconds of pure defiance, Ayrton Senna crossed the line and claimed his long-awaited home victory — an explosion of triumph, exhaustion, and faith. “By the finish I had nothing left. God gave me this race.”

More than three decades later, the echo of that day still resonates — not just in Formula 1® history, but deep in Brazil’s collective memory.

To celebrate this masterpiece of courage and control, TAG Heuer unveils two new editions of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Senna — watches that remind us Senna was never just a driver, but the embodiment of passion, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.

Crafted in titanium, black DLC, and forged carbon, the first model channels the champion’s iconic helmet colors — yellow and green accents set against a sunray-brushed black 44 mm dial, with Senna’s “S” emblem engraved on the bezel. Every detail evokes both TAG Heuer’s audacity in watchmaking and Ayrton Senna’s fearless artistry on the track.

The second model, measuring 43 mm, features the legendary S/EL bracelet — Senna’s favorite. Blending contemporary lines with heritage cues, it captures the fine balance between speed and control. Yellow and green flashes illuminate its brushed black dial, celebrating both Brazil’s racing colors and the unstoppable energy of motorsport.

Together, these two models carry forward the legacy born in 1988, when TAG Heuer and Ayrton Senna first joined forces. More than three decades on, their shared ethos endures — a story of performance, precision, and passion.